Savoy Records: Raw Power Tabloid Outrage

Raw Power
Tabloid Outrage

Drugs and the Royals: the perfect bait for a bunch of hypocritical hacks

The record: Raw Power

THE DAILY MIRROR

, 29 Dec 1987:

POP GROUP IN SICK COCAINE TAUNT AT CHARLES

A SICK record sleeve is claiming that cocaine has the royal seal of approval from Prince Charles.

The sleeve also says that Margaret Thatcher and Mother Teresa endorse the use of the drug.

"Only dickheads die from cocaine," Prince Charles is alleged to have said. "The best people used it and are still using it."

The blood-spattered sleeve is on a disc called Raw Power by Lord Horror and the Savoy King Cocaine Band.

Falklands

On the reverse is a cartoon of a man injecting himself and a fake quote from the Prime Minister—"I'm not worried by military reports that our lads are winning the Falklands war by taking cocaine."

There is also a made-up quote from Mother Teresa: "I always give cocaine to niggers. It helps them to produce healthy babies."

The album, which is released by Manchester-based Savoy Records, came under bitter attack last night from Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens.

He stormed: "It is not only disgusting and degrading to the Royal Family and the Prime Minister, but it seriously insults the bravery of the soldiers who faught in the Falklands.

"I'd like to put the sick people who released this record up against some of those soldiers."

Mr Dickens wants action by the police and the Home Office.

Savoy Records were unavailable for comment.

But spokesmen for Britain's top record distributors say they have refused to have anything to do with the record. •

MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS, 29 Dec 1987:

ROYAL INSULT ALBUM BLASTED BY MP

AN MP and a musician clashed today over a "sick" record sleeve which claims a royal seal of approval for cocaine.

MP Geoffrey Dickens condemned the album—by a Manchester-based company—as a "cowardly attack" on the Royal Family and "a positive encouragement for people to use cocaine."

But David Britton, who made the record with partner Michael Butterworth, said: "Mr Dickens has got it wrong."

Mr Dickens, Tory MP for Littleborough and Saddleworth, is so angry over the sleeve of the record—Raw Power by Lord Horror and the Savoy King Cocaine Band—that he will raise it with the Home Office.

It uses bogus quotes from Prince Charles, Mother Teresa and Margaret Thatcher. The remark attributed to Charles says that "only fools die from cocaine. The best people are still using it."

Mr Dickens described the record makers as "spineless creatures."

The album was released by Savoy Records, which has an office above a locksmith's shop in Deansgate.

Mr Britton said: "It is a bit more intellectual and ambiguous than has been made out. If you look at the record in total, Mr Dickens has got it wrong." •

THE TIMES, Richard Williams, 29 Sept 1987 :

"I don't know who you are or what you want, but please don't send me any more of this trash."